Uncle
by Leigha101
Summary: Seven years have passed since the war's end. Twelve year old Tierra meets a kindly old man who owns the Jasmine Dragon tea shop in Ba Sing Se, but he is a mystery, his identity unknown. She comes to call him Uncle and reveals secrets of her own.
1. Chapter 1

"Might I get you anything, mother?" Tierra asked timidly, tip-toeing around the rocking chair her mother sat in. No answer was given from the woman, who seemed to be in a trance for a while. She did not blink or deter her gaze from some unknown spec on the adobe wall. Finally she spoke.

"No, I'm alright," she said distantly, eyes not moving, feet still rocking in their mechanical way. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin. "Buy yourself a cup of tea. At the shop. Up the hill‚" Tierra took the coin and bowed, even though she was sure her mother couldn't have cared less.

"The Jasmine Dragon‚" Tierra said to herself as she read the sign atop the teashop. Rarely had she ever left her ailing mother's side. And when she did leave, never did she receive such a luxury as tea. Tentatively, she entered.

In one corner, two old men were playing a game she thought she recognized as Pai Sho, although she had never truly seen a game being played up close before.

"Hello, little one‚" It was the voice of an old man who was cleaning a teapot from behind the front counter, a huge grin upon his face. Tierra's face turned into a grimace.

"I am not little‚" she replied smugly. It was true she was shorter than most other twelve year olds, but she hated being deemed as small.

"My mistake. I do believe I meant to say young one. As you can see, you are much younger than I‚" said the old man with a little laugh. Tierra did not like him. He talked so very slowly, and as if he were wise. She didn't think he knew anything. He was probably losing his mind, like her mother. "What can I get for you today?"

"Chamomile tea please. Whatever cup I can get with this coin‚" Tierra said in a bored voice, fingering the coin her mother had given her.

"Forgive me, but it seems I am currently out of the ingredients to make chamomile. However, you may be in luck. This lovely lemon tea is in season, and simply delicious‚" he said, offering the cup to her. Tierra rolled her eyes and took it. Instantly the juicy and tart flavors took over, at just the right temperature where the tea didn't burn her tongue but was still a cozy sort of warm. Her eyes relaxed in pleasure as she gulped the rest of the cup down.

"Are you enjoying your tea?" the old man asked, an eyebrow raised.

"It's perfect‚" Tierra sighed with content, knowing she would never have a better cup in her life.

"I'm glad you enjoy it. I'll pour you another cup free of charge, Young One‚" he said as he took her cup to fill it with the most perfect liquid Tierra had ever known. Tierra readily took the cup again, this time enjoying the tea more.

"You know I have a real name, right? I'm Tierra‚" she said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tierra. I do hope you'll stop by again‚" said the old man.

"What about you? Don't you have a name?" Tierra asked. At this the man's face changed demeanor. He was suddenly far more serious and even older looking. He thought to himself for a few moments, and when he did speak, he did not meet Tierra's eyes.

"I have been called many names, mostly stranger, foreigner, or refugee. All these names are true for me for I am not of Ba Sing Se‚" he said.

"Surely you have a real name?" asked Tierra.

"Not one that I like to go by‚" he said, sounding melancholy. He then looked at her, an idea behind his eyes. "How about you just call me Grandfather? I am old enough to be your grandfather now, aren't I?"

"Yes, but you're not a grandfather, really you aren't‚" Tierra looked closely into his face, thinking hard. "You're more of an uncle."

"Now that is something I have not been called in a very long time‚" he said, his happiness back.

"Uncle it is then‚" Tierra said, and lifted her glass in a toast to their new friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

Tierra frequented the shop several times a month, striking up menial conversation with the owner whom she called Uncle. As the months went by and Tierra turned thirteen, Uncle began to notice her visits became more frequent and much longer. Something was wrong, and he could tell. She was stalling at the shop, trying to hide from something. And one day after a much drawn out cup of tea, Uncle brought up what had been on his mind.

"Tierra, what are you hiding from? Why have you come to visit me so often? I know something is going on," he said gently. Out of nowhere, Tierra burst into sobs. Uncle waited until she had control of her voice.

"It's, it's my mother, Amarga," she started, gasping. "She, she was so docile and estranged from the world, and now…now she's yelling at me! She's seeing things and going delirious. And I don't know how to help her." She again began to sob uncontrollably. Uncle came out from behind the counter and put a comforting arm around her.

"I tell you what, Tierra. Today is a wonderful day to tend my herb garden. I am old and in need of some assistance with picking the weeds and such. Would you do me the honor of helping?" he asked.

"I would love to," Tierra said in relief. She dried her tears and the two walked out back. "My, this is a bit of a mess."

"Yes, well, I've gotten lazy and have started to buy herbs in town, but I really should be using my own," Uncle said with a chuckle. The two got started picking through the weeds. "Could you bend some of that dirt over here for me?"

"Oh, I, I…I don't earth bend," Tierra said in a fluster. "I'm sorry."

"That's perfectly alright. Neither do I," he winked. The two worked in silence for a while, uprooting the weeds and throwing them into an old pot. Finally Uncle broke the silence. "So, you're mother. Was she always in this state?" Tierra thought this was a rather personal question, but she needed to tell someone of it.

"Not always," she started. "She used to be wonderful. We'd go to market and the spa and all the other places a mother and daughter go. But things changed. Her husband died in the war at the end, when I was only five. She was fine for the next three years or so, but after that she began to float off in her own little world. Then she turned into, into well, a monster."

"It must have been devastating for her to lose her husband, your father," said Uncle solemnly.

"He wasn't my father," Tierra said as she concentrated very hard on packing some dirt.

"Oh," was all Uncle could say.

"Yes, well, that was a very hard time for her, among…other things," Tierra said, ending the conversation with the tone she used. Uncle knew not to pry.

The two worked diligently for the rest of the day, but the work was still nowhere near done. Uncle reached into his pocket and pulled out a modest sum of money.

"For your hard day's work. You've earned it, my niece," Uncle said with his grin.

"I could never," Tierra replied.

"Now, your mother cannot stay at home all by herself all day if you are to help me here. You must hire a caretaker for her and the house. I insist," Uncle said.

"You mean, I can come back to help you?" asked Tierra anxiously.

"Of course! The Jasmine Dragon is doing fine, and I could use some time off to get this garden into shape. And a young pair of hands will be of great use," he said.

"Thank you, Uncle. You are truly wonderful," Tierra said, beaming from ear to ear as she took the money and went home for the day.


	3. Chapter 3

"What is that you're humming, Uncle?" asked Tierra as she went to fetch the watering pale. It had now been over a week since the two had started work on the herb garden, and it was nearly finished now.

"Oh, was I humming? I didn't even realize," he replied.

"Yes, it went something like this," Tierra hummed the melody back to him. "You hum it quite a bit, actually."

"That is an old war tune. Have you not heard it?" he asked.

"No. You must remember I was only five years old when the war ended," Tierra said, after a pause, she added, "were you in the war?" Uncle thought about how he wanted to answer her question.

"Yes, I was," he finally said, his voice filled with sadness and pain.

"You needn't be upset about it. I'm sure you fought very bravely," she reassured him.

"I suppose so," he said rather distantly. He was beginning to sound like Tierra's mother, and she didn't like that one bit. She changed the subject.

"Uncle, do you have a family?" Tierra asked, changing the subject.

"Doesn't everyone?" he asked.

"Surely yours is better than mine. All I have is a crazy mother," Tierra said, wanting to know more.

"Are you about ready with that watering pale? What are you doing with it?" Uncle asked.

"Oh, nothing!" Tierra said, suddenly blushing as she rushed to bring it over. She gently began to water the herbs. "So, your family?"

"Hearing about my family would only burden your heart. My relatives are very….interesting, to say the least," he said, standing up.

"Just tell me one thing. One good thing about your family," Tierra said in desperation. Uncle sighed.

"My nephew," he said, his mind running through the past. Tierra could see the smile form on his face as he thought. "He was a very difficult boy, but I helped him find his way. The whole world would have been a much different place if I hadn't helped him."

"Helping one person can change the world?" Tierra asked with skeptism.

"Yes, it is like the water in this pale," Uncle said, dipping his finger in the water. "You touch one person, and the entire lake is effected by the ripples. I tell you what. This garden looks pretty good. What do you say we open the shop back up this afternoon? You can help me serve the tea. I'm sure Pei, my best customer, will be very pleased to have a cup of black tea."

"Will you show me how to make the tea?" Tierra asked with eagerness.

"I am afraid I cannot do that. It's an old family secret," Uncle said. Tierra gave him a look of disappointment, but she helped him serve the tea anyways. As predicted, Pei did arrive at the shop, and fairly quickly, too.

"Good afternoon, Pei," Tierra greeted him as he came through the door.

"Afternoon, Tierra. I'm glad this shop is finally open again. I've missed my tea," Pei said.

"Uncle is brewing up some black tea for you now, don't worry," she said.

Throughout the afternoon several other customers came in, all glad the shop was open again, and Tierra served them all. Every time she went back into the kitchen to get the cups from Uncle, she tried to figure out what was so secretive about his recipes. But all he would do when she entered was put the cups directly on the tray, and she could never figure it out. Everyone marveled at how wonderful the tea was, as usual. The workday finally came to a close, and Tierra was about ready to leave.

"Your earnings for the day," Uncle said, handing her the usual amount of coins. "Oh, and I almost forgot." He went back into the kitchen and came out again with a cup of tea. This is for your mother. I know how the tea tends to soothe her. Be careful! I made it extra hot so that by the time you go down the hill, it will be the perfect temperature for your mother."

"Thank you, Uncle," Tierra said as she bowed and left.

Very carefully, Tierra opened the door as to not awaken her mother in case she had fallen asleep. Inside, she found Cria, the maid she had hired to take care of her mother, cleaning the counter. She turned from her work.

"Hello, Tierra, how was your day?" she asked politely.

"It was grand, thank you. Is my mother still awake?" Tierra asked.

"Yes, she's in the other room, rocking in her chair," Cria replied. Tierra bowed and went out to see her mother.

"Who's there?" Amarga snapped as Tierra entered.

"It's only me, Mother. I've brought you some tea from Uncle," she said, handing her the cup. Amarga took a sip and was immediately soothed.

"That man has a way with the fire," she said, taking another drink.

"Pardon?" Tierra asked.

"A way with the fire. You need fire to make tea, of course. It's the perfect temperature. Warm enough to be effective, but it doesn't burn the tongue. Honestly, Tierra," Amarga finished her cup.

"Fire," Tierra said to herself. Not once had she seen a fire burning in the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning, Tierra. There's just a little bit of tending we need to do to the garden, and then we can open the shop," Uncle said as Tierra came in. Tierra couldn't look at him; she just stared into nowhere. "Come now, what's wrong?"

"You don't use fire to make tea, at least, not from the stoves," Tierra stated. Uncle's face grew long and weary.

"I know what you're thinking Tierra-" he started, but she interrupted.

"And you were in the war-"

"Tierra, it's not what you-"

"And the only people your age who are in wars-"

"Tierra-"

"Are generals. You were a general. A general of the Fire Nation. A general who was here. General Iroh," she said, finally looking at him. He had nothing more to say. "But you aren't like that. At least not anymore. I don't hate you, and I don't blame you either. You changed. But I couldn't help but wonder, what made you change?"

"Let's go for a walk. I'll close the store for the day," he said. The two walked in silence down to the cemetery. "My son, Lu Ten." He pointed to a grave. "I didn't truly understand what Sozin and Ozai wanted to accomplish with the war when it started and when I occupied Ba Sing Se. And then Lu Ten died, and that changed everything. I saw how this was happening on both sides, to everyone. Lu Ten was a wonderful son. I cherished him more than anything. That is when I changed. And about that time, I got put in charge of my nephew, Zuko, and I'm sure you've heard all about that." Tierra nodded. "I adopted him in a way, as my own son. I helped him."

"And you changed the world," she finished his sentence. He nodded. She thought about it for a minute. "Wait, you really did change the world! If Zuko were still as hard of heart as he was, Azula would have been Fire Lord, and the war would still be raging."

"I suppose you're right. I didn't really think about all of that," Uncle said.

"Thank you," Tierra said, tears starting to form. "Thank you for saving me from that kind of war." The two held each other right there at the cemetery for several minutes. Eventually they started walking again, through the cemetery, following the river that flowed through it.

"Uncle, you don't have to worry. I understand why you want to remain anonymous. No one will ever know by my tongue," Tierra said.

"I appreciate that, Tierra," he said.

"Also, there's something I should tell you, too," Tierra said. She stopped walking and stooped down by the river.

"You never asked me about why my mother's husband wasn't my father," she said.

"It wasn't my business," he answered. Tierra placed her hand above the water, and as she pulled it away, the water followed. Uncle raised an eyebrow as she swirled the water around in the air for a while.

"My supposed father was an earth bender," she said, continuing to play with the water. "I discovered this bending when I was very young, but because of my mother's short temper, I never asked her why I could do this. It was on one of the trips to market that I understood." She bended the water back into the river. "She would always stare at Mizu, the book seller in this special way. He's the only water bender around; his parents were also refugees. They must have had a fling, probably before she got married. My guess is she doesn't really know whose I am. And also, I'm guessing that's the other reason she went crazy. Mizu won't even acknowledge her. I'm sure she's devastated."

"Love is a crazy thing. I fell in love once, and after she passed, I never loved in that way again," Uncle replied. The two began to walk back to the shop.

"A secret for a secret, hmm?" Tierra asked.

"Yes indeed," Uncle said. "Today was a good day, wasn't it?"

"It was," Tierra agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

"Uncle, we've lots of tea to sell. Why aren't you up yet?" Tierra said to the empty shop she arrived in. It had been several weeks since the two had visited the cemetery. She headed upstairs into his apartment.

"Uncle?" she found him sleeping in his bed. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, entering the bedroom.

"We've got a big day! Time to get up," she shook him. "Uncle, quit playing. Uncle." She shook him harder. "Uncle. Uncle?" She slowed down in shaking him. She was beginning to worry. "Uncle? Get up! Get up right now! Uncle!" Tierra realized he wouldn't be waking up. Bursting into tears, she ran out of the shop and into town as fast as she could to find the medics. They came as quickly as they could.

"I'm sorry, but he's long gone. He passed peacefully in his sleep. There's nothing we can do," said one of the medics somberly. Tierra was still sobbing.

"No!" she cried between her gasps for air.

"Was he sick? Did he show any signs of death?" another one asked.

"No, not really…he was coughing a bit more than usual," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"It seems he was coughing up blood, according to these handkerchiefs," the first one said, seeing them scattered on the floor. The second medic found a letter on the bedside table and began to read it.

"It looks like he knew he was going. You should read this." Tierra took the letter.

_My dearest niece,_

_I've tried to hide my illness for the last few weeks because I knew my time was coming, and there was nothing I could do. I hope my death does not trouble you so much, for I lived a good, long, and joy filled life. My wish now is that you inherit everything I have and that you will figure out my secret with the tea. Please feel no need to alert my family over my passing; they are either too busy or too horrible to care much. I love you, and remember, change one person, and you change the world._

_With all the love I can offer,_

_Uncle_

(About a week later...)

"And you're sure you want his ashes buried here?" the undertaker asked.

"Yes, I'm positive," Tierra answered for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"You do know this is where they buried all of the Fire Nation soldiers from the war, correct?" he asked again.

"Yes, I know. I want him buried here," Tierra said, again. The undertaker sighed. There was nothing he could do. The plot was available, and Tierra had purchased it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll bury my Uncle in peace." The frustrated undertaker left. Tierra began to dig with the shovel she had brought, the urn containing Uncle's ashes next to her. She hummed the old war tune he had hummed while she dug.

"That looks deep enough, hmm?" she asked the urn. "There you are." She placed the urn in the hole and covered it again. "Right next to your son, right where you belong."

"A flower for the deceased?" an old woman asked as she passed with a basket of flowers. Tierra paid her for one and placed it on the grave

_Stranger or Foreigner to some_

_Beloved Tea Maker to others_

_And Uncle to a select few_

This Tierra had decided was the perfect reading for his gravestone. Everything was just as Iroh would have wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

"I think you've got this just about perfect, Tierra," said Pei, taking another sip of tea. "This temperature is just right."

"Thank you, Pei, for all of your taste testing you've done for me," Tierra said as she cleaned a pot.

"You're mighty welcome. I do still miss the stranger though, don't you?" he asked.

"How could I not miss him? He was my uncle. It's been over a year now, and not a day goes by when I don't think of him," she said, lost in thought.

"I believe it. You two were special," said Pei. "I had better leave, hmm? The sun is beginning to set, and I bet you'll want to close soon."

"It is near closing time. Thanks for stopping by," Tierra said.

"Anytime," Pei replied. He bumped into a tall, dark figure wearing a long cloak at the door. "Hey, watch where you're going, bud. And the store's closing." The tall man ignored Pei and entered anyway. Pei left.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have no more tea for the night. Come by in the morning," Tierra said, a bit nervous to be alone with this man.

"I don't need tea. I'm looking for the owner of this shop," he said in a raspy voice. Tierra wished she could at least see his face from under that cloak. She was just about ready to bend some of the dishwater from the pot into his eyes.

"You're speaking to her," she said keeping her tone calm.

"No, he's old, and annoying sometimes, and likes to say philosophical things. Isn't he your boss?" he asked fervently. "Look, he's my uncle." Tierra's eyes grew wide with understanding. She dropped her pot.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Tierra said in a barely audible whisper. He raced over to her, clasping his hand over her mouth. His hood fell down and his scar was visible.

"No one can know," he said. Tierra nodded and he let go.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"It's alright. I understand," Tierra said, bowing. "I can take you to him, but you will not like what you see." The two walked to the cemetery, and she told Zuko about how she and Iroh had gotten so close.

"So, that would make you my cousin, right? If you also called him Uncle?" he asked.

"I suppose so," she answered. They arrived at Iroh's grave and stopped.

"I had him buried here, next to Lu Ten," she said, looking up at him. A tear was falling from his cheek. Neither one spoke for a few moments. Tierra watched the moon shine upon the gravestone. Something strange happened then. Zuko began to sing.

_Leaves from the vine_

_Falling so slow _

_like fragile tiny shells_

_drifting in the foam._

It was the song Uncle always hummed. Somehow, Tierra found herself joining in.

_Little soldier boy _

_come marching home_

_Brave soldier boy_

_comes marching home._


End file.
